President Trump criticized Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess on Sunday after Hess and other American athletes at Milano Cortina Winter Games shared their thoughts about the political situation in the United States at the beginning of the week.

“U.S. Olympic skier, Hunter Hess, a real loser, says he is not representing his country in the current Winter Olympics,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday. “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the team, and it’s a shame he’s on it. It’s very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

During a news conference Wednesday, when asked about the current political situation in the US, Hess said his feelings about representing his country on the international stage are complicated.

“I think representing the U.S. at this point has mixed emotions. It’s a little difficult,” he said. “Obviously there’s a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I don’t think a lot of people are either. I think for me it’s more about representing my friends and family back home, the people who have represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good in the US.”

“I just think, if it’s in line with my moral values, I feel like I represent that. Just because I carry the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US,” he continued. “Yeah, I just want to do it for my friends and family and the people who supported me to get here.”

On Saturday, Trump administration envoy and Kennedy Center chief Rich Grennell criticized Hess on social media, suggesting he “move to Canada if you’re not proud to carry USA.”

Meanwhile, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican, said Hess should “shut up and go play in the snow.”

US national figure skater Amber Glenn, who will become the first LGBTQ woman to skate at the Olympics on Sunday, said Saturday she will spend less time on social media after facing criticism for sharing her thoughts on issues facing the LGBTQ community ahead of the Games.

“When I decided to use one of the amazing things about the United States of America (freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA during a troubled time for many Americans, I am now receiving a terrifying amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED how I feel,” Glenn said in a social media post Saturday. “I expected this, but I’m disappointed by it. For now, I will limit my time on social media for my own good, but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”

Earlier this week, at a press conference, Glenn was asked to share her thoughts on the political situation in the US and its impact on the LGBTQ community.

“It’s been a tough time for the community in general and this administration. It’s not the first time we’ve had to come together as a community and try to fight for our human rights. And especially now, it’s not just affecting the queer community, it’s affecting many other communities. And I think we’re able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before. And because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger,” Glenn said.

“I hope I can use my platform and my voice during these games to try to encourage people to stay strong in these difficult times. I know a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, like you stick to your job, stay quiet about politics. But politics affects all of us. It’s something I’m not going to just stay quiet about because it’s something that affects us in our everyday lives. So of course there are things I don’t agree with, but as a community we’re strong and we support each other and even better days are ahead.” she continued.

When U.S. alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who said it’s “always an honor and a privilege to represent Team USA and to represent my country,” was asked by reporters Saturday about tensions in the U.S., she quoted former South African leader Nelson Mandela.

“Peace is not just the absence of conflict, peace is the creation of an environment in which we can all flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, class, caste or any other social marker of difference,” Shiffrin quoted Mandela as saying.

“For me, since this is about the Olympics, I’m really hoping to show up and represent my own values ​​— values ​​of inclusivity, values ​​of diversity, kindness and sharing,” Shiffrin said. “The tenacity, the work ethic, showing up with my team every day, like I said before, and the values ​​that we bring to and from the mountain and on the hill every day.”